Romania has a long and deeply entrenched tradition of Francophilia beginning after the Enlightenment and Revolutionary periods.[1][2] No doubt the most famous contemporary Romanian Francophile is Eugen Weber (1925–2007), a prodigious author and lecturer in both English and French, on the subject of French History. In his book "My France: politics, culture, myth" he writes: "Social relations, manners, attitudes that others had to learn from books, I lived in my early years. Romanian francophilia, Romanian francophony... Many Romanians, in my day, dreamed of France; not many got there."[3]

With the efforts to build "Romania" into a modern nation-state, with a national language and common national heritage, in the 19th century the Romanian language was deliberately re-oriented to its Latin heritage by a steady import of French neologisms, suited to contemporary civilization and culture. "For ordinary Romanians, keen on the idea of the Latin roots of their language, 'Romance' meant 'French."[4] An estimated 39% of Romanian vocabulary consists of borrowings from French, and an estimated 20% of "everyday" Romanian vocabulary.[5]

Boia writes: "Once launched on the road of Westernization, the Romanian elite threw itself into the arms of France, the great Latin sister in the West. When we speak of the Western model, what is to be understood is first and foremost the French model, which comes far ahead of the other Western reference points."[2] He quotes no less than the leading Romanian politician Dimitrie Drăghicescu, writing in 1907: "As the nations of Europe acquire their definitive borders and their social life becomes elaborated and crystallized within the precise limits of these borders, so their spiritual accomplishments will approach those of the French, and the immaterial substance of their souls will take on the luminous clarity, the smoothness and brilliance of the French mentality."[2]

18th and 19th century Russian Francophilia is familiar to many from Tolstoy's War and Peace and Anna Karenina, where his characters from the Russian aristocracy converse in French and give themselves French names. At the time the language of diplomacy and higher education across much of Europe was French, and Russia, recently "modernized", or "Westernized", by the rule of sovereigns from Peter the Great to Catherine the Great was no exception to this. The Russian elite in the early 18th century were educated in the French tradition and made a conscious effort to imitate the manners of France. Their descendants a generation or two later were no longer "imitating" French customs but grew up with them and the strong impact of the French culture on Russian upper and even middle classes was evident, though on a smaller scale than in the 18th century, up until the Revolution of 1917.[6]

Francophilia or Rattachism is a marginal political ideology in some parts of Belgium. Rattachism would mean the incorporation of French speaking Belgium, Wallonia (and sometimes Brussels; more rarely of the entire Belgium) into France. This movement has existed since the Belgian state came into existence in 1830.

The establishment of the Crusader Kingdom of Cyprus in 1192 was the beginning of intense French influence on the island for the next three centuries. This influence, which touched almost every aspect of life on the island, would endure even after the end of Lusignan domination and even survives as part of Cypriot culture to this day. In this respect, the Republic of Cyprus became associate member of the Francophonie in 2006.

An important figure of Armenian Francophilia was that of Stepan Vosganian (1825–1901). Arguably the first Armenian "intellectual" and literary critic, Vosganian "represents the prototype of a long line of Armenian intellectuals nurtured in and identified with European, and particularly French, culture." Educated in Paris, he was a champion of liberalism and the positivist philosophy of Auguste Comte, and took part in the French Revolution of 1848.[9]

First important contacts of French and Serbs came only in the 19th century when the first French travel writers wrote about their travels to Serbia.[10] At that time Karađorđe Petrović, leader of the Serbian Revolution, sent a letter to Napoleon expressing his admiration. On the other hand, in the French parliament, Victor Hugo in his speech asking France to assist Serbia and the Serbian population to protect themselves from Ottoman crimes. Diplomatic relations with France were established on 18 January 1879.[11] Rapid development of bilateral relations done that people in Serbia in "mighty France" seen great new friend that will protect them from the Ottomans and Habsburgs.[10] Relations between Serbia and France would go upwards until the First World War, when the "common struggle" against a common enemy would reach its peak. Before the war France would win sympathy of local population by building railways, by opening of French Schools, Consulate and French Bank. Several Serbian kings at that same period were at universities in Paris as well as a large part of the future diplomats.[10] Serbs have built a sense of Francophilia because all these activities moved them away from the Ottoman and Habsburg empires.[10] For Serbs until 1914 French have become major allies what were even a threat for traditional inclination towards Russia. The great humanitarian and military assistance that France sent to Serbia during First World War, assistance in the evacuation of children, civilians and military at the end, and the support of French newspaper headlines even today are deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness of large number of Serbs.[10]

And if there was one thing that characterized the Shah and the ancien regime of hoveydas and tabatabais, it was francophilia, French education, the French language. The Shah himself had attended Le Rosey in Switzerland. French lycees flourished in Teheran. The Shahbanou herself was part of the francophilia that in Iran was as notable a feature as it had been of pre-Revolutionary Russia. England was always, in Iranian eyes, the suspect, the enemy. England was the country of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. But France offered the “perfected civilisation” of Chamfort.[14]

The Ottoman Empire granted France special privileges on account of the Franco-Ottoman alliance. French mercantilism was protected, French subjects were exempt from the taxes and tributes normally required of Christian residents of the Empire, it was agreed that no French subjects be taken into Ottoman slavery, and French subjects were granted full freedom of worship. Thus, France became the unofficial Protector of all Catholics in the East.[18]

Among the most famous American Francophiles is Thomas Jefferson.[24][25] Even during the excesses of the Reign of Terror, Jefferson refused to disavow the revolution because he was, as Jean Yarbrough wrote, "convinced that the fates of the two republics were indissolubly linked. To back away from France would be to undermine the cause of republicanism in America."[26] Commenting on the continuing revolutions in the Netherlands and France, the retired Secretary of State predicted: "this ball of liberty, I believe most piously, is now so well in motion that it will roll round the globe, at least the enlightened part of it, for light & liberty go together. it is our glory that we first put it into motion."[27] Jefferson would often sign his letters "Affectionately adieu", and commented late in life "France, freed from that monster, Bonaparte, must again become the most agreeable country on earth."[28] The 1995 film Jefferson in Paris by James Ivory, recalls this connection. The "staunchly Francophile"[29] Jefferson, and by extension his adherents or "Jeffersonians", were characterized by his political enemies, the Federalists, as "decadent, ungodly and immoral Francophiles".[30]

There is great interest in America in French culture. Particularly the sophistication of French food, art, philosophy, politics, as well as the French lifestyle.

The French-American Chamber of Commerce organization has worked to promote business ties between the two states. A Dallas Morning News interview has described the BeaujolaisWine Festival, the largest such festival in the U.S., as a major event for those interested in French culture to mix.[32]

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MyFrenchLife.org - My French Life is the world's only social network for French and francophiles wanting to discover France beyond the cliché wherever they live - Magazine . Community . Events . Experiences - Publishing every day - Articles & Interviews in English and French - tips, guides & advice. Established in Melbourne Australia in 2009 offering French speaking events.